Hard Anodized Skillet with NO Nonstick Interior?

[Erik]

Does anybody know if such a thing exists anymore? I've done a fair amount of searching and everything I find has a nonstick interior, which seems to defeat the purpose. I figured I'd throw this one out here and see if anybody else had more luck. I know we have a lot of people with varied interests and a fair number of people who cook, so...Help me PF. You're my only hope.

[Robinson]

Does anybody know if such a thing exists anymore? I've done a fair amount of searching and everything I find has a nonstick interior, which seems to defeat the purpose. I figured I'd throw this one out here and see if anybody else had more luck. I know we have a lot of people with varied interests and a fair number of people who cook, so...Help me PF. You're my only hope.

Even Calphalon, who really pioneered hard anodized cookware, has stopped making cookware without a nonstick coating. There has been too much concern about the health effects of exposing food directly to the aluminum surface. A good nonstick coating prevents this without introducing additional health concerns, whereas cheap nonstick coatings that scratch and flake easily can be problematic.

[Erik]

Thanks. That's what I've been finding. I have yet to have a nonstick that holds up well over time, so I've been avoiding it.

[txdpd]

The other reason is that anodizing in the pans is very sticky and not all that hard. It’s like cast iron that can’t be cleaned with anything abrasive, even blue 3m pads will cut through it in a couple years.

Caphalon tri-ply might be worth a look. Heat distribution of aluminum, stainless durabilty on the outside, dishwasher safe

[Robinson]

Thanks. That's what I've been finding. I have yet to have a nonstick that holds up well over time, so I've been avoiding it.

Calphalon's high-end nonstick lines are pretty durable. There is a big difference between the lower end products and higher end products when it comes to the quality of the nonstick surface.

[SD]

Thanks. That's what I've been finding. I have yet to have a nonstick that holds up well over time, so I've been avoiding it.
We regularly replace our non-stick surfaced pans, soon is visible scratches start to appear the pans days are numbered. Have had good luck with Calphalon classic very durable holds up well with a greater longevity then most others similar pans.

[HopetonBrown]

Saw some nonstick at Sur La Table called Scanlon, made in Finland or somewhere equally idyllic. Looked pretty cool.

[Clusterfrack]

Cast iron does everything for me. Some of the new hipster polished skillets (e.g. Finex or Butter Pat) are especially good.

[lwt16]

I have Caphalon Tri Ply, Allclad Copper core, Allclad D5, and cast iron pieces. Some of my cast iron is vintage and some of it is modern Lodge.

I probably use my modern Lodge 12 inch skillet more than anything. Yes, it took a while to get it seasoned but not terribly long if you cook daily. I have a ten inch chef's skillet by Lodge that my son won in a Dirty Santa game and it has taken on a non-stick seasoning since last month. I can cook over easy eggs on it with no sticking already.

Modern Lodge is not ready from the get go, in my opinion and takes a few seasonings to get it anywhere near non stick. I used olive oil, heat, a metal turner to scrape the heck out of that rough surface once it was hot, and then a few bakings in the oven with super thin layers of OO.

The Allclad and Caphalon stuff is also pretty much non stick so long as it is VERY CLEAN. Soap and water won't do it without a good polishing with Bar Keepers Friend and a good paper towel drying. I have found that food doesn't stick to the pan....it stuck to the food I left behind.

I don't own any teflon at all.

Regards.

[NEPAKevin]

Caphalon tri-ply might be worth a look. Heat distribution of aluminum, stainless durabilty on the outside, dishwasher safe

Caphalon also has "space saving" sets that stack which I believe also are made with stainless and an aluminum core.

[txdpd]

Caphalon also has "space saving" sets that stack which I believe also are made with stainless and an aluminum core.

I saw an add for those, not sure about the durability, but tri-ply doesn't stack worth a damn.


I probably use my modern Lodge 12 inch skillet more than anything. Yes, it took a while to get it seasoned but not terribly long if you cook daily. I have a ten inch chef's skillet by Lodge that my son won in a Dirty Santa game and it has taken on a non-stick seasoning since last month. I can cook over easy eggs on it with no sticking already.

I had Lodge pan shot peened for $50 and it came back smooth as glass, it has stayed much smoother than a polished surface. From what I understand Lodge is just sandblasted at the factory. It's not hard to polish them either. They are built to a price point, I don't think the finish from the factory is ideal for cast iron.

[Erik]

Thanks guys. I can find the All Clad or Calphalon higher end nonstick stuff easily, so will probably go that route for now. That and some cast iron should get me where I'm trying to go.

[SeriousStudent]

I have a bunch of 100-year-old Erie cast iron, as well as some 30-ish Lodge, plus the All-Clad.

They were an investment, but they work great. Knives and cookware are something I spend money on.

Oh yeah, and I eat off paper plates. Yes, my children comment on that frequently.

[littlejerry]

Do not buy the Calphalon stacking pans. Total crap for someone who cooks. Good for stacking, or donating.

Calphalon Signature non stick is their most durable coating. It is NOT steel safe as advertised, or even nylon brush safe. No Teflon pans are.

[Robinson]

I don't use metal utensils on any Calphalon pans.

The best way to clean the stuff is to just wipe it out with a dish rag and soapy water when it is still pretty hot. Easy clean-up. If that's not practical then a Scotch-Brite pad followed by a dish rag works great. I have several high-end Calphalon pans that are several years old and the nonstick surface looks new.

[OlongJohnson]

Silicone spatulas for my PTFE stuff.

[Spartan1980]

Cast iron does everything for me. Some of the new hipster polished skillets (e.g. Finex or Butter Pat) are especially good.

Beat me to it.


I saw an add for those, not sure about the durability, but tri-ply doesn't stack worth a damn.
I had Lodge pan shot peened for $50 and it came back smooth as glass, it has stayed much smoother than a polished surface. From what I understand Lodge is just sandblasted at the factory. It's not hard to polish them either. They are built to a price point, I don't think the finish from the factory is ideal for cast iron.

I'm sure they do grit blast them, but the rough surface is actually left over from the sand mold. I have several pieces of Lodge and some others that we got as hand me downs. I took a flapper sandpaper disk on a small angle grinder to the inside of my 12" Lodge skillet and it doesn't really cook any better specifically as far sticking goes. It's not really necessary at all but it is seemingly more cookable for some reason, but there's really no difference as to non-stick.

The key to cast iron is understanding the seasoning process. It's not the coating that builds up that makes it work, though it can help if its hard and not sticky oil. It's the "coating" that gets into the pores of the iron that makes it work. The seasoning is inside the metal quite literally. I always take a new piece of iron and wash it, dry it, heat it in the oven for about 15 minutes, take it out and wipe a coating of crisco shortening on it, then immediately wipe it ALL off (you will never get it all off but pretend like you are) and then back into the oven it goes for about an hour. Turn the oven off and leave it to cool on it's own. If you've stripped it with oven cleaner you need to do this process about 3 times. On a pre-seasoned Lodge once is good and then I usually cook some cornbread and pancakes for the first couple of cooks.

Cleanup is similar except I don't use the oven, just the electric cooktop. After washing dry it, heat it up, crisco wipe, wipe it "dry" and turn off the burner and leave it there until cool.

I've had better luck seasoning with crisco than any other oil that I've tried, though when cooking I use olive, canola or occasionally coconut if doing pancakes or french toast.

Google Jeffery B. Rogers or "culinary fanatic" on youtube. He is the world's foremost doyen of cast iron.

[willie]

Two steps taken before food hits skillet help reduce sticking. One is starting with a hot pan. The other is drying meat by patting with paper towel. I save packaged plastic fast food place utensils and use these for scrapers. Also left over lemons and oranges serve as good scrubbers. And I have put cooking oil on stubborn stains to soften them before additional cleaning. As said above, Bar Keeper's Friend is most useful.

As most know, Teflon is toxic, and scratched Teflon pans will flake particles and thereby contaminate food. Most chain restaurants avoid Teflon utensils for this reason. As an inspector I asked many cafe managers to cease using such.

[Robinson]

I will also point out that modern high end nonstick coatings are not Teflon. I can't stress enough the difference between cheap nonstick and high quality nonstick.

[Erik]

I ended up with a Tramontina pan. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HBKQR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's the wirecutter top pick. I ordered some new spatulas to go with it so hopefully it will go for a few years at least. Thanks again for the input on this.

[rob_s]

I ended up with a Tramontina pan. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HBKQR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's the wirecutter top pick.

Interested to know your take. I have several of these in various sizes sitting in my amazon cart waiting to replace our current pans, which are whatever the Wirecutter budget pick was 5+ years ago.

[SD]

I ended up with a Tramontina pan. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HBKQR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's the wirecutter top pick. I ordered some new spatulas to go with it so hopefully it will go for a few years at least. Thanks again for the input on this.
Have this pan in our kitchen going on 3 years of heavy use, it has been an excellent performer. As you can see the surface is starting to show normal wear marks, soon to be replaced.
34002 34003 happy cooking.

[Erik]

I'll try and remember to come back to this thread after I've had it for a bit and update.

[Clusterfrack]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190109/10252ce4262d8fcde12952591a55adcf.jpg

Finex 12” skillet. It gets used at least once a day.

[Duelist]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190109/10252ce4262d8fcde12952591a55adcf.jpg

Finex 12” skillet. It gets used at least once a day.

That's beautiful.

[Clusterfrack]

That's beautiful.

Yeah, it makes me smile when I use it.

Made by genuine hipsters in Portland. It comes with oiled beard hairs from the ironsmith who made it.

[NEPAKevin]

... tri-ply doesn't stack worth a damn.



Do not buy the Calphalon stacking pans. Total crap for someone who cooks.


https://i.imgflip.com/bcdnn.jpg

[t1tan]

We've been using some All-Clad hard-anodized for a couple years now, aside from the girlfriend constantly ignoring my warning against metal utensils they've held up well. At this point there are light scratch patterns in both but overall they're still easy to clean, and so on. If the scratching goes any deeper I'm expecting sticking and so on and I'll end up dumping them.

Initially I had ordered a couple carbon steel pans from Darto in Argentina, have been very pleased with them in all aspects, solid construction, no rivets, great searing capability for all my sous vide proteins, they're pre-treated and seem extremely slick out of the box but I treat them with flax seed oil before use and every few uses since, bake in them, etc etc. and they're just getting more slick and darker black with every use.

But girlfriend complained she could no longer lift the pans or flip her eggs in the carbon steel so those basically became mine for everything and we got the All-Clad to fit her specific needs, but if it were just me I'd be all in on carbon steel and possibly a stainless or enameled for acidic foods.

https://www.darto.org/us/

https://i.imgur.com/zmkAWax.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BlSQppV.jpg

[littlejerry]

https://i.imgflip.com/bcdnn.jpg

The Calphalon stacking pans (they have a line specifically designed around stacking) are poorly designed. They are designed to be stacked, not used.

3 things:
1. Side walls are vertical... Even on omlette pans. You won't be sliding any food out onto a plate.
2. Sidewall heights are too short. I'm assuming they had a requirement to fit x pieces in y inches
3. The lids are flat. Lids are normally domed for a reason- condensation gathers and rolls down to the edge, back into the pan. Flat lids end up with a sheet of water that you have to manage whenever you lift the lid(lift, shake off, sometimes hit with a paper towel) otherwise you spill it all over the cooktop/counter.

If you cook, don't buy it. It'll drive you F'ing mad. Obviously designed to hit a stacking spec, not for everyday use.

Normal Calphalon tri ply and signature non-stick is GTG.

[OnionsAndDragons]

We've been using some All-Clad hard-anodized for a couple years now, aside from the girlfriend constantly ignoring my warning against metal utensils they've held up well. At this point there are light scratch patterns in both but overall they're still easy to clean, and so on. If the scratching goes any deeper I'm expecting sticking and so on and I'll end up dumping them.

Initially I had ordered a couple carbon steel pans from Darto in Argentina, have been very pleased with them in all aspects, solid construction, no rivets, great searing capability for all my sous vide proteins, they're pre-treated and seem extremely slick out of the box but I treat them with flax seed oil before use and every few uses since, bake in them, etc etc. and they're just getting more slick and darker black with every use.

But girlfriend complained she could no longer lift the pans or flip her eggs in the carbon steel so those basically became mine for everything and we got the All-Clad to fit her specific needs, but if it were just me I'd be all in on carbon steel and possibly a stainless or enameled for acidic foods.

https://www.darto.org/us/

https://i.imgur.com/zmkAWax.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BlSQppV.jpg

Those are beautiful!

Thank you for bringing the company to my attention. Ever since getting my carbon steel wok properly seasoned and black, I’ve wondered about possibly finding other carbon steel cookware.

I’d say I do 90%+ of my skillet/pan cooking in cast iron or the wok, but I’ve been looking to broaden that just a bit. I can make a good omelette in cast iron, but it’s much too hard to properly plate.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[rob_s]

Initially I had ordered a couple carbon steel pans from Darto in Argentina, have been very pleased with them in all aspects, solid construction, no rivets, great searing capability for all my sous vide proteins, they're pre-treated and seem extremely slick out of the box but I treat them with flax seed oil before use and every few uses since, bake in them, etc etc. and they're just getting more slick and darker black with every use.

https://www.darto.org/us/



The Calphalon stacking pans (they have a line specifically designed around stacking) are poorly designed. They are designed to be stacked, not used.

3 things:
1. Side walls are vertical... Even on omlette pans. You won't be sliding any food out onto a plate.

Interesting to note when reading these two comments together...

https://www.darto.org/us/new-developments/

https://d26lpennugtm8s.cloudfront.net/stores/066/355/rte/Sin%20t%C3%ADtulo%203%20ingles.png

[Spartan1980]

Lodge makes carbon steel skillets too. The do have rivets albeit quite large ones on the inside. I've been meaning to pick up a 10" but keep forgetting.

They also make a line of heat treated cast iron that is now dishwasher safe and won't rust. More pricey than their regular. I like Lodge because they are made in the USA except for their porcelain line which hails from China. Grr...

[t1tan]

Lodge makes carbon steel skillets too. The do have rivets albeit quite large ones on the inside. I've been meaning to pick up a 10" but keep forgetting.

They also make a line of heat treated cast iron that is now dishwasher safe and won't rust. More pricey than their regular. I like Lodge because they are made in the USA except for their porcelain line which hails from China. Grr...

Lodge makes good products, if I used more cast iron I'd like more of their stuff. I have an enameled lodge dutch oven that has been very good for the price, once amazon got one to be that wasn't chipped or rusted(forth time was the keeper), I'll probably end up with some of their non-enameled for baking breads in the future.

[Spartan1980]

Lodge makes good products, if I used more cast iron I'd like more of their stuff. I have an enameled lodge dutch oven that has been very good for the price, once amazon got one to be that wasn't chipped or rusted(forth time was the keeper), I'll probably end up with some of their non-enameled for baking breads in the future.

You just can't beat Lodge for the price. I have one of the Lodge enameled dutch ovens and i use it a lot. It makes the best beans and chili of any DO I've ever had. Also have the matching skillet which basically never gets used. It's alright but I just use the regular iron instead. If it were a tad bigger it would be the goto for chili. As it is I just use the DO. Got both of mine from Amazon and they were pristine but its been awhile.

[SouthNarc]

I have cast iron from Smithey.

https://smitheyironware.com

And carbon steel from Blanc Creatives.

https://blanccreatives.com

[Clusterfrack]

I have cast iron from Smithey.

https://smitheyironware.com

And carbon steel from Blanc Creatives.

https://blanccreatives.com

Hipster.

[SouthNarc]

Hipster.

:D

[Clusterfrack]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190113/f1b19ad429f8f615e9b0e8e7a92c2232.jpg